Exercise Ball Workout - Stability Ball Exercises

An exercise ball workout is a great way to get balance training as well as strengthening your core. Plus, you can do a variety of stability ball exercises to get a total body workout. Try out some of these exercises given here.

You’ve probably seen them around in your gym and may have wondered what on earth they were used for. In the beginning you might have even thought that they were meant for kids, but then pretty soon enough you would have spotted some of the fittest women and men using them. Whether they are called an exercise ball, a stability ball, or a Swiss ball, they can be used for performing practically endless types of exercises that workout practically all parts of the body. Plus, there are a number of benefits that you can derive from doing an exercise ball workout regularly.

The Benefits of Stability Ball Exercises

Apart from providing you with balance training, which most conventional workout programs tend to overlook, almost every exercise that you perform with the exercise ball strengthens your core by working them, and they exercise multiple muscles at the same time while you are forced to balance your body while performing them. This results in your core being better able to support your body while you perform any day-to-day activity. Moreover, the stability ball is also versatile:

• The exercise ball can be used at the gym as well as at home.
• People of all ages as well as fitness levels can derive benefits from stability ball exercises.
• The exercise ball is lightweight and portable.
• The stability ball is not an expensive piece of exercise equipment.
• Stability balls do not require any particular maintenance.

The stability ball can be used to get a total workout for the body. You can use it to exercise the abdominals, back, chest, arms, and legs. If you have been hankering to try them out, but haven’t known how to get started, you could try out these stability ball exercises given below.

Sitting Wall Rolls: Begin by standing with the exercise ball placed between your lower back and a wall, and your feet about shoulder width apart. Start squatting down, with the ball rolling along your back, until you come to a sitting position, with your knees parallel to the floor. Then go back to the standing position. You can repeat this 8 times, and as you get stronger you can increase it to 3 sets. This stability ball exercise is great for strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

Straight Back Extensions: Lie with your abdomen on the stability ball, with your body making a 45 degree angle with the floor, while you balance yourself on the tips of your toes. Now extend your arms straight out in front of you as if you are about to take off like an airplane. Maintain this position to a count of 30. Then relax. This exercise can be repeated 5 times. It is very good for your glutes, lower back, the middle region of the back, and upper back.

Stability Ball Pushups: Put your hands flat on top of the exercise ball, with your body held at a 45 degree angle with the floor, while you balance on the tips of your toes. Lower your torso by bending your elbows, stopping just a couple of inches or so from the ball, then push back again to the starting position. Repeat for 8 times, and do 3 sets as you get stronger. This is great for your pectoral muscles, shoulder muscles, biceps, triceps, as well as your abs.

Opposite Leg and Hand Extensions: Lie on the exercise ball with your abs facing it, stabilizing yourself with your hands and toes. With your face towards the floor, extend your right arm and left leg up together, holding them in that position for about 3-5 seconds, and then get back to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg and arm combination. This can be done 8 times for each leg and arm combination. This exercise is very good for your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and upper back.

Ab Roll-Ups: Lie down on your back on the floor, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Holding the exercise ball with your hands, place it about midway up on your thighs. Start rolling the ball right up to your knees while you simultaneously lift your shoulders off the floor. Hold this position for a second or two and then return back to the starting position. This can be repeated 8 times. And once you get stronger you can do 3 sets of it. Great for your abs.

Stability Ball Hip Lifts: Lie down on your back, bending your knees and placing your heels on top of the stability ball. Support yourself by stretching out your arms on both sides. Then, squeezing your buttocks, lift it off the floor, pushing your hips upwards. Hold this position for a second or two and then return back to the starting position. This can be repeated 8 times, and can be done up to 3 sets. This is wonderful for your hamstrings and glutes.

Exercise Ball Elevated Pushups: Start by placing your hands on the floor and your knees on top of the exercise ball. Your body should be facing down and parallel to the floor. Now lower your upper body down until your face is just a couple of inches off the floor, and then push yourself back up. Repeat this 8 times, and it can be done up to 3 sets. Great for your pectorals, shoulder muscles, biceps, triceps, as well as the abs.

Stability Ball Crunches: Place your lower back on the exercise ball and your feet on the floor, so that your thighs and upper body are parallel to the floor. Now do the usual crunches, using your abs to lift upper back and shoulders up and then releasing back down. Repeat this for 8 times, increasing it up to 3 sets. This is an excellent exercise for your abs.

Exercise Ball Core Crunches: Start by getting down on your knees, and bending your torso at the waist, while resting your elbows on the stability ball. Then, squeeze your abdominal muscles and roll the exercise ball in front of you until your body straightens out, then roll back again to the starting position. This should be done 8 times. This works out your core muscles and abs.

Stability Ball Torso Extensions: Lay your upper body on the exercise ball with your knees on the floor, and your hands behind your head. Lift your upper body up from the ball until you straighten out your spine or extend it slightly. Get back to the starting position. This can be done 8 times, and increased to 3 sets. It does wonders for your upper back and lower back.

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Discover The Limitless Benefits Of Exercise Balls

Knowing the benefits of exercise balls and why they come in all shapes and sizes will help your specific fitness goals.

Exercise balls are a proven way of increasing the difficulty of your workout by adding, at different times, resistance, structure, shape and weight to your exercises. An exercise ball is not limited to the big stability balls seen in gyms and physical therapists offices. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and weights to help achieve different goals.

When choosing an exercise ball, think first of what you’re trying to attain. Balance, strength, massage, and power are all benefits of using specific exercise balls.

Want to increase core strength? Try a traditional stability ball. These are typically 65 centimeters in diameter and can be sat on, stretched out on or held between your ankles and squeezed for added work. These exercise balls come in different sizes and even have versions with little legs for beginners. They work on the idea that doing exercises on an unstable surface challenges deep abdominal and back muscles and help to increase your sense of balance and core strength.

For more power, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned medicine ball. These weighted balls, sometimes filled with sand, have been around for decades and are making a comeback because of their simple idea: Doing an exercise while hauling a heavy load is difficult! Used to increase power for upper body or legs, this exercise ball comes in different weights starting at four pounds. A medicine ball can be applied to sports specific goals such as increasing a swing, throw, or squat.

A dual grip Medicine ball has all the benefits of a regular medicine ball with all the advantages of it’s unique design. Looking like a Medicine ball with ears, the handles make it possible to do traditional strength training exercises as well all the power related moves of a regular medicine ball. It’s easily gripped and fun to use.

Looking for more strength and tone? Soft Weighted Balls come in 2-8 lb increments and can be held easily in your hands. Taking their place along side traditional free-weights, these exercise balls are used in a similar way and used mostly for upper body conditioning. Because of their soft exterior, they’re easily gripped which assists in working the muscles of the hands as well as the larger muscle group being targeted. Biceps, triceps, rotator cuff, chest and back are a few of the body parts that can be worked when using Small Weighted Balls.

To make your body feel good after your exercise ball workout, try a Body Therapy ball for a total body massage. This firm but pliable exercise ball is used to roll out the muscles from origin to insertion, meaning the whole length of the muscle. The muscles are essentially being massaged. As the weight of your body sinks into the ball, muscle tension is released. Benefits include ease in the muscles which help the surrounding joints move more freely, a feeling of relaxation, and increased circulation to the muscles.

Variety and diversity are the main reasons to establish workouts using the many different exercise balls available. Use a different one every day and you’ll enjoy the limitless benefits of using an exercise ball.

Susannah Marchese is a certified Pilates fitness instructor and a senior contributing editor to the popular informative website Everything About Pilates.

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